Lifting tool



Aug. 20, 1963 JONES 3,101,211

LIFTING TOOL Filed April 3, 1961 F|G.7 F|G.8

INVENTOR. BIIFQGAN L.JONES ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,101,211 LIFTWG TGGL Logan L. Jones, Monte (Caucaso 1320-8, Mexico City It), Mexico Filed Apr. 3, 1961, Sen. No. 1ili,355 6 Claims. (Cl. 29416) My device relates to tools for grasping and lifting articles such as a container or bottle having a neck and bead or enlarged end portion on the neck.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved tool of this class which is economical in construction, efficient to use, and safe in its operation.

Another object of my invention is the provision or" a lifting tool readily placed in position over the neck of a bottle or the like and which automatically locks itself to the neck so that lifting of the tool raises the bottle or the like.

Another object is the provision of safety and reliability in a lifting tool used for raising an object such as a heavy bottle having no extension for grasping other than the neck of the bottle.

Another object is to provide a lifting device having improved locking means for locking the lifting tool to the neck of a bottle for the lifting of the bottle.

A still further object is the provision of improved and unique structure in a lifting tool, operable in a novel and useful manner, and producing important and advantageous results.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the preferred, form of my improved lifting tool in locking position relative to a bottle;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of my lifting tool in locking position relative to a bottle as in the view of FIGURE '1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of my lifting tool in unlocked or released position and moved whereby it may be removed from the bottle;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of a modified form of my lifting tool;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged detail view showing the hinged mounting of the latch or catch memberembodied in my tool;

. FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the latch or catch member embodied in my tool;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged crosssectional view taken through the line 7-7 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken through the line 88 of FIGURE 1.

A particularly important use of my lifting tool is its use, for grasping a large heavy bottle for example a five-gallon bottle of water, to enable the bottle to be lifted. The tool provides a reliable and safe handheld upon such a bottle so that upon lifting the tool, after its interlocking with the bottle, the bottle is raised with the tool.

My tool has incorporated therein a collar 12 from which extend radially outward in opposite directions handle or gripping members 11. As'seen in FIGURE 1, the collar is of general circular form having a central opening 15 slightly larger in diameter than the bead or enlarged end 23 on a neck 22 of a bottle 21 so that the collar 12 may be readily moved d ownwardlyto an elevation below the bead 23 of an upstanding bottle (that is, a bottle having its neck extending upwardly). The handle or gripping members 11 are disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane as the collar 12 and extend from opposite diametrically opposed sides of the collar 12.

The collar 12 and handle members 11 are formed of 3,l-l,2ll Patented Aug. 20, 1963 "ice 7 to the shape shown in FIGURE 8. The side views of FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 show the converging of the shapes of the channels as they progress from one cross-section to the other at the junction of collar I12 and handle members 11. The long leg of channel 14 at the location of the collar 12 is designated by the reference character 14a.

Adjacent the point of separation 16 between bar members I3 and 14, at the right-hand juncture between collar 1-2 and handle member 11, as seen in the drawing, a rivet 17 extends between the members 13 and 14 to firmly hold them against separation at this point 16.

Adjacent the point of separation 16 between bar members '13 and 14, at the left-hand juncture between collar 12 and handle member 11, as seen in the drawing, a pivot pin 18 riveted to the bars 13 and 14 extends between them to firmly hold them against separation at this point 16.

A latch or catch member 19 is hingedly connected to the tool adjacent the collar 12 by means of the said pivot pin 12; extending through the hole in the'portion 19c of latch or catch member 19. As seen in greater detail in FIGURES 5 and 6, the latch or catch member 19- has a portion 19a and a portion 19b integral therewith disposed in planes disposed at an obtuse angle to each other, preferably at the angle illustrated. The portion 190 integral with portion 19a extends downwardly therefrom in a plane normal to the plane of portion 19a as shown. The portion 190 extends gradually rearwardly where it terminates in the area of opening 1%! through which passes the pivot pin 18 in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of handle member 11. Because of the divergence of the adjoining walls of members 13 and 14 beginning at point 16, rubber Washers 18a are disposed under the heads of the pin 18 at its opposite ends so as to accommodate to this divergence.

The mass of the portions 19:: and 190 relative to the mass of portion 19b is such that the latch member is biased to the position shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4, that is, to where the portion 19a is substantially horizontal and resting on the top surface of the bar members 13 and 14 at the juncture of collar 12 and handle member 11. Thus, the excess mass provides biasing means for the member 19.

The use of my lifting tool is here explained in connection with a five-ga1lon bottle of water in an upstanding position, which bottle is to be lifted. For example, this may be a bottle having the usual body 21 (partially shown) having extending upwardly therefrom the neck 22 having a head or enlarged end portion 23 on its upper end. A throat extending axially through the neck 22 and bead 23 provides access to the interior of the bottle.

The tool is first moved downwardly while in a generally horizontal position with the collar 12 generally concentric with the bottle neck 22. When tree of constraint, the bias of the mass distribution in member 19 is such as to maintain the portion 191: in a generally horizontal plane, that is, down on the top side of the tool when the tool is held horizontally with the member '19 disposed on the top side thereof. Upon moving the tool further down 3 to next adjacent the body 21 of the bottle, the latch portion 1% may clear the bead 23 and in response to the bias thereon swings downwardly to a generally horizontal plane. The movement of the latch portion 19a to the horizontal plane, aided by any manual lateral shifting of the tool as may be necessary, moves the tool laterally and in effect shifts the neck to the right as seen in FIGURES 1 and 2. In this position, the collar 12 and neck 22 are no longer concentric. The portion 1% partially obstructs the opening 15 and crowds or pushes the neck 22 to the right so that the bead 23 on the right side of the neck is directly over the top of the collar at the margin thereof opposite the member 19. On the left side, the free inner end of portion 19a is under the bead 23 as seen in FIG- URES 1 and 2. As the portion 19a is supported on the top surface of the tool, it is held in a horizontal plane and cannot tilt downwardly.

When the parts are in the relative positions shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the handle members 11 may be raised. The raising of the handle members, or either of them, simultaneously raises the bottle interlocked with the collar 12 and member 19 as shown and described. When it is desired to lift the bottle with the use of two hands or by two persons, then both handle members 1d are grasped and simultaneously raised. When it is desired to lift the bottle with one hand, as by one person, then only one handle member 11 need be grasped and raised, the opposite handle member 11 extending free.

When it is desired to release the tool from an upstanding bottle resting in place on a support, thetool is moved downwardly to next adjacent the body 21 of the bottle, as to the position shown in FIGURE 3. lowered elevation, the portion 19b is depressed, such as by the thumb of a person holding the tool, so as to tilt upwardly, against its bias, the portion 19a to the position shown in FIGURE 3. When the member 19 is in the position shown in FIGURE 3, the tool may be shifted to make the collar 12 concentric with the neck 22. With the parts positioned as in 'FIGURE 3, the tool may be raised vertically and off of the neck as the collar then readily clears the bead 23 whereby the tool is released from the bottle.

In the modified form of tool illustrated in FIGURE 4, the handle member on the right side of the collar is foreshortened so as to extend only sufficient to close the collar at juncture point 16. The handle member on the left side, now designated by the reference character 11 extends in a plane common with the plane of the collar 12, which plane is normal to the axis of neck 22. The joined members making up the handle member 11 and collar 12 are similar to members 13 and '14 of FIGURES l to 3, except for the shortened length, as for example, member 14 Formed on the handle member 11 is a plastic hand grip member 24- conforming in shape to a hand embracing the same as illustrated in FIGURE 4. It is to be noted that the horizontal axis of member 24- is at an acute angle, preferably on the order of fifteen degrees, to the lon tudinal axis of the handle member 11 in angularity provides accommodation to the tipping of a bottle of water, for example, to the vertical upon a bottle held by thetool in the form of FIGURE 4- being lifted by raising of the member 24 held in the hand of the operator. With the bottle thus tilted, the plastic handgrip member assumes a generally horizontal position which provides for comfort to the person holding the member 24 and carrying the bottle with the tool.

It has been found that my improved tool answers many of the difiicultiesand overcomes many of the inconveniences encountered heretofore without my tool in lifting containers such as large heavy bottles of water otherwise difficult to grasp and lift.

The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims, as well as that of the foregoing description.

When in this This difference Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A tool for lifting a container such as a bottle or the like having a bead formed on the neck thereof and a throat below said bead, the outer diameter of the bead being greater than the outer diameter of the throat below said bead, said tool comprising the combination of, a lifting member having a collar portion and a handle portion, said collar portion having an opening extending therethrough, the diameter of said opening being slightly greater than the outer diameter of the head on a container to be accommodated and adapted to be moved axially of said neck over said bead and to adjacent said throat, said handle portion being rigidly secured to said collar member and extending generally radially outward therefrom to provide manual engagement by an operator, a latch member carried by said lifting member adjacent said collar portion and positioned on a first side of the lifting member, said latch member having a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, said first and second portions being disposed in planes intersecting at an obtuse angle to each other, said third portion extending in a plane normal to the planes of said first and second portions, and pivot means interconnecting the third portion of said latch member and said lifting member to permit said first portion and second portionto pivotally swing as a unit about said pivot means relative to said liftingmember, said first portion of the latch member being directed away from the opening of said collar portion and the second portion of the latch member extending radially inward of said opening of the collar member to partially obstruct the opening, said latch member and lifting member having inter-engaging portions respectively to limit swinging movement of said second portion on said first side of the lifting member between a raised position and a lowered position, downward swinging of said first portion tilting said second portion to said raised position and downward swinging of said second portion tilting said first portion upwardly, the said second portion in its lowered position being extended to its position of maximum obstruction of said opening and in its raised position being extended to its position of minimum obstruction of said opening, the arrangement of lifting member and latch member permitting the collar portion to be lowered over the neck of a said bottle or the like disposed with its neck directed upwardly to a location below the bead thereof and to around the throat thereof and upon the lowering of said second portion of the latch member to its lowered position causing the obstruction of said opening by said second portion and the engagement of said bead by the latch member and collar portion upon the raising of the lifting member to thereby lock the lifting member to said bottle or the like.

2. A tool for engaging under the head on the neck of an upstanding bottle for lifting the same, comprising the combination of, a collar adapted to be placed down over the bead of a said bottle and around the neck thereof, handle means rigidly secured to said collar and extending substantially radially from said collar for manual raising of the collar, said collar having an inner edge portion on a margin of the opening therein and adapted to engage under the head of a said bottle upon crowding of the neck toward said margin, and a hinge member pivotally carried by said collar adjacent the upper side thereof, said hinge member having an engaging portion in a first plane and an actuating portion in a second plane at an angle to said first plane, said hinge member being pivotally rockable between first and second positions,

said engaging portion in the first position of the hinge member being supported on the said upper side of the collar and extending radially inward of the opening therein toward said margin to engage under the bead of a said bottle and to crowd the neck of the bottle toward said margin to lock the said head with its lower edge resting on said inner edge portions at said margin and the upper side of said engaging portion, said actuating portion in said first position of the hinge member extending upwardly and away from said collar, depression of said actuating portion and downward movement of the tool relative to the bottle to clear the said engaging portion of said head causing said engaging portion to swing upwardly away from said neck and to tree the neck from crowding against said margin, the tool in the first position of said hinge member being adapted to engage a bottle under the neck thereof for the lifting of the bottle and in the second position of the hinge member being adapted to clear said head for release of the bottle from said tool.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of, a collar adapted to slide downwardly over the neck of an upstanding bottle to clear the bead on the neck to position the neck in the opening in said collar, the said collar adjacent the margin on one side of the opening therein being adapted to engage said bead upon the, raising of the tool toward said head and the lateral shifting of the bottle neck and tool relative to each other to position said collar adjacent said margin under said bead to engage the same, a hinged catch pivotally carried by said collar adjacent the side thereof facing upwardly in respect to said upstanding bottle, said catch being positionable in a substantially horizontal plane to extend inwardly of said opening toward the neck of a said bottle to maintain the neck of the bottle adjacent said margin in position for the engagement of the head bysaid collar, said catch in said substantially horizontalplane being positioned adjacent said neck and under said bead to engage the same, said hinged catch being biased to assume a position in said substantially horizontal plane and being engaged by said collar to resist tilting downwardly from said substantially horizontal plane, said catch having an actuating portion extending therefrom and away from said collar and disposed relative to the hinged connection of the hinged catch to raise said catch from said substantially horizontal plane upon the depression of the actuating portion in opposition to the said bias of the hinged catch, the raising of the hinged catch from said substantially horizontal plane and the clearing of the said bead by said hinged catch permitting the collar to be shifted laterally of the said neck whereby the collar adjacent said margin clears said bead and the collar may be raised upwardly over said bead to release said neck, and handle means rigidly secured to said collar and extending radially outward from said collar for lifting the collar and a bottle having its bead engaged by said collar and said hinged catch thereunder.

4. A lifting device for interlocking with the beaded neck of an upstanding bottle for lifting the same, comprising a pair of metallic channel members having web portions disposed back to back and joined together, said joined channel members intermediate their ends being separated to define therebetween an open space for accommodating said beaded neck therein and permitting the said members to be moved downwardly over the bead of said neck, said joined channel members extending radially outward 1y of said open space and constituting means to be grasped for lifting of the joined channel members, a latch member, a pivot member carried by said joined channel members adjacent a side of said opening and having its disposed laterally of the longitudinal axis of the joined channel members, said latch member having a first portion and a second portion extending therefrom, said latch member being biased to swing on said pivot member to a first position where it is supported on said joined channel members in a substantially horizontal plane and extending inwardly of said opening, said second portion of said latch member in said first position being tilted at an obtuse angle to said first portion and directed away from said opening to provide a lever fulcrumed on said pivot member for raising said first portion in opposition to the bias thereof to said second position, said latch member in said first position being adapted to be positioned under the bead of a said bottle and adjacent the bottle neck under said bead to hold the neck adjacent the joined channel'member on the opposite side of said opening for engagement of the bead by the joined channel members on said opposite side, said first portion upon being raised to said second position being swung upwardly away from said opening to permit the bead to clear said first portion and to permit the bottle neck to move away from said opposite side of the said opening and the joined channel members at said opposite side to clear said head.

5. A lifting tool for the lifting of a bottle having a beaded neck, comprising a collar adapted to fit over the beaded neck of an upstanding bottle below the bead thereof, a lifting member rigidly secured to and extending radially from sm'd collar in substantially the plane thereof, a hand grip member having hand-conforming contour mounted thereon to be grasped in lifting the lifting tool, the axis of said hand grip member being disposed at an acute angle to the axis of said lifting member to permit the hand grip member to be held substantially horizontally upon tilting of the lifting member under load of said bottle, a catch pivotally carried by the lifting member adjacent said collar to extend in the plane of the collar radially inwardly thereof forengaging under the bead of a said bottle and for maintaining the collar opposite of said catch under said bead to engage the same, and a releasing member directed toward said handle and readily engageable by the thumb of a hand of the operator grasping said hand grip member, said releasing member upon being actuated moving the catch member away from said collar to permit clearance of the bead by the said catch and said collar.

6. A tool for grasping a bottle having a body, a neck extending therefrom and enlarged end portion on the neck for moving said bottle in accordance with movement of the tool, comprising a collar adapted to be moved past the enlarged end portion and to embrace the neck intermediate the body and enlarged end portion, handle means rigidly secured to and extending from the collar for manually moving the collar, 9. hand grip member carried by said handle means on a side of said collar,

' said hand grip means being at an acute angle to a line disposed axially of said handle means and diametrically of said collar to compensate for tilting of the bottle upon raising of the bottle on said side of the collar by said hand grip member, a locking member alternately extendable inwardly of the collar to a blocking position partially obstructing the opening therein and away from said blocking position to clear said opening, said locking member in said blocking position being adapted to confine a said bottle neck embraced by the collar between said locking member and said collar and to engage said enlarged end portion upon movement of the collar away from said bottle body whereby movement of said collar by said handle means in a direction away from said body causes the collar and locking member to move the bottle in the same direction, said locking member upon being moved away from said blocking position freeing said neck and permitting withdrawal of the collar from said neck clear of said enlarged end portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,777,102 Mooney Sept. 30, 1930 1,977,367 Wolcott Oct. 16, 1934 2,610,081 Bushman Sept. 9, 1952 2,680,041 Gribskov et a1. June 1, 1954 

5. A LIFTING TOOL FOR THE LIFTING OF A BOTTLE HAVING A BEADED NECK, COMPRISING A COLLAR ADAPTED TO FIT OVER THE BEADED NECK OF AN UPSTANDING BOTTLE BELOW THE BEAD THEREOF, A LIFTING MEMBER RIGIDLY SECURED TO AND EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM SAID COLLAR IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE PLANE THEREOF, A HAND GRIP MEMBER HAVING HAND-CONFORMING CONTOUR MOUNTED THEREON TO BE GRASPED IN LIFTING THE LIFTING TOOL, THE AXIS OF SAID HAND GRIP MEMBER BEING DISPOSED AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE AXIS OF SAID LIFTING MEMBER TO PERMIT THE HAND GRIP MEMBER TO BE HELD SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY UPON TILTING OF THE LIFTING MEMBER UNDER LOAD OF SAID BOTTLE, A CATCH PIVOTALLY CARRIED BY THE LIFTING MEMBER ADJACENT SAID COLLAR TO EXTEND IN THE PLANE OF THE COLLAR RADIALLY INWARDLY THEREOF FOR ENGAGING UNDER THE BEAD OF A SAID BOTTLE AND FOR MAINTAINING THE COLLAR OPPOSITE OF SAID CATCH UNDER SAID BEAD TO ENGAGE THE SAME, AND A RELEASING MEMBER DIRECTED TOWARD SAID HANDLE AND READILY ENGAGEABLE BY THE THUMB OF A HAND OF THE OPERATOR GRASPING SAID HAND GRIP MEMBER, SAID RELEASING MEMBER UPON BEING ACTUATED MOVING THE CATCH MEMBER AWAY FROM SAID COLLAR TO PERMIT CLEARANCE OF THE BEAD BY THE SAID CATCH AND SAID COLLAR. 